The day Kael had been waiting for had finally arrived: he was finally ready to enter the Void Realm.
Having wrapped up his final school exams during his grueling training period, he was now stuck in that restless limbo of waiting for his results. Instead of sitting around twiddling his thumbs, he decided it was the perfect time to make the jump.
Renjiro glanced at him and nodded. "Alright. We're going."
Kael hoisted his backpack over his shoulder, giving a quiet, tense murmur of agreement. "Hmm..."
Turning toward the kitchen, Renjiro called out to Elara, keeping his voice casual. "Aunt Elara, I'm taking Kael out for a long vacation."
Elara paused, her hand instinctively pressing against her chest as a sudden chill ran through her. Her eyes filled with a heavy, unexplainable dread.
"I don't know what it is," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "But I have a really bad feeling about this..."
Kael offered a reassuring smile, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Don't worry, Mom. We'll return safely."
Elara forced a fragile smile onto her face, swallowing her anxiety. "Alright, Kael. Take care of yourself."
"Bye-bye, Mom. Bye, Dad," Kael called out, giving them a final wave as he headed for the door.
His parents waved back, their eyes lingering on him. It was a perfectly normal farewell, but beneath the surface, a chilling sense of finality hung in the air—as if this would be the very last time they would ever see him.
Outside, Kael hopped into the driver's seat. It was actually his first time driving a car on his own, the engine humming to life under his nervous grip. He managed to navigate the roads smoothly enough until they reached their destination: the base of a silent, desolate mountain.
They stepped out into the eerie quiet of the wilderness. Renjiro looked at Kael, gave a sharp nod, and in the next blink of an eye, both of them vanished into thin air, leaving the mountain completely empty.
The moment they crossed the threshold into the Void Realm, Renjiro's heart raced with anticipation. He couldn't wait to introduce Kael to his parents, and Kael was just as eager, his eyes bright with curiosity.
But as the blinding light of the summoning faded, Renjiro blinked, confusion flitting across his face.
They weren't where they were supposed to be.
Instead of a familiar settlement, an endless expanse of vibrant green grassland stretched out before them. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A crisp, cool breeze swept across the plains, causing the sea of grass to wave gently in the direction of the wind.
Kael looked around, genuinely amazed. "Wow, man. What a beautiful place. You hardly ever see something like this on Earth anymore."
Renjiro forced a small smile and turned away. He pressed a hand against his chest, feeling a strange, hollow ache. *I shouldn't jump to conclusions,* he murmured to himself. *I'm probably just overthinking.*
Suddenly, two figures materialized beside them as Azune and Sara took on their physical forms.
Azune immediately noticed the tension in the air. Walking over to Renjiro, she asked softly, "Brother, what's wrong?"
Renjiro flashed her a quick smile, but she knew him too well—it was entirely fake.
Seeing through it, Azune sighed gently. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. But for now, we should at least keep moving."
Renjiro nodded, turning his head toward Kael and Sara. "Let's move on."
With that, the group set off toward the direction of Renjiro's village.
As they walked, Kael noticed the surrounding fields were lush and filled to the brim with thriving crops, yet there wasn't a single Void Human in sight. It was completely deserted.
Noticing Kael's questioning glances, Renjiro spoke up. "Listen, Kael. We look like humans and our needs are exactly the same as yours. Don't go thinking we're some entirely different species."
Kael nodded quickly, taking in the advice.
They eventually left the fields behind, and massive mountains began to loom in the distance. Looking at the vast landscape, Kael asked, "Did all your people come from somewhere far beyond those mountains?"
Renjiro smiled faintly. "No. Actually, this isn't even our village's territory."
"Oh..." Kael murmured, looking around.
Just then, the sound of rushing water echoed ahead. Spotting a beautiful waterfall cascading down the mountainside, Azune's eyes lit up. She grabbed Sara's wrist with a grin. "Come on, let's go have some fun!"
Deciding it was a good place to rest, the group stopped by the waterfall. Renjiro cupped some of the cool water in his hands, took a deep drink, and then leaned back against a rock to rest.
Kael sat down nearby and asked, "How much longer will it take to get there?"
Renjiro went quiet, thinking deeply before answering, "One more day."
Exhausted from the journey, Kael collapsed backward onto a smooth stone. "Do you always have to hike through this place whenever you come back?"
Renjiro closed his eyes tightly, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. "Yes."
"Okay..." Kael smiled tiredly.
As the sky began to dim and the temperature dropped, Renjiro stood up and stretched. "We should gather some logs and sticks. Let's build a fire to keep warm for the night."
They worked together to set up the camp, and once the tents were secure, Renjiro and Kael headed to the nearby stream and caught a decent handful of fish.
While Sara and Azune took over the cooking duties, Renjiro and Kael made sure they had a fresh, sufficient supply of water for the night.
Soon, the savory scent of grilled fish filled the air, and the group sat around the campfire, eating together under the starry sky. Despite the cozy atmosphere, the silence felt heavy.
Kael looked up from his food, eyeing his friend. "Hey, Ren," he started, breaking the silence. "I noticed something earlier. You've been looking incredibly tense, like you're completely overthinking something."
Renjiro stared into the crackling fire, his expression grim. "I just... have a really bad feeling about this place."
Reaching over, Kael playfully ruffled Renjiro's bright red hair, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, don't be scared. Whatever it is, we'll be completely fine."
Renjiro managed a small nod, though the worry didn't leave his eyes.
A couple of hours later, the fire had dwindled to a soft glow. Sara and Azune had already turned in for the night and were fast asleep inside the tent. Only Kael and Renjiro remained awake, sitting by the dying embers.
Kael leaned back, his tone turning serious. "Why did you lie to me earlier?"
Renjiro froze. His eyes widened in genuine shock as he looked at Kael. "How... how did you figure that out?"
"Because I know you," Kael said softly. "Think about it, Ren. When we teleported here during the day, we didn't land in your village. But even if we just went off-course, there wasn't a single soul in the neighboring fields either. A thriving agricultural area shouldn't be completely deserted in the middle of the day."
Kael crossed his arms, giving his friend a comforting look. "Don't drive yourself crazy or get depressed over it, Ren. It was probably just a minor glitch or a spatial distortion during the teleportation."
Renjiro nodded slowly, desperately wanting to believe Kael's theory.
Meanwhile, far away in a dark, ominous castle, a towering figure stood up from his throne. The Shadow Lord's eyes gleamed with a cold, terrifying malice.
"The time has finally come," he muttered, his voice echoing through the empty halls. "We are moving to Earth."
With a flick of his wrist, his figure blurred, and he vanished into the darkness.